Wrench



' Patented July l2, I898. l. N. YOUNG.

WRENCH.

(Application filed Aug. 3, 1897.)

("0 Mod l lUNrrnn STATES JOHN N. YOUNG, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,320, dated July 12, 1898.

Application filed August 3, 1897. Serial No. 646,911. [No model.)

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. YOUNG,acitizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, in the county of Alameda, State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in renches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches in which I operate the wrench by sliding the upper shank through slots in guides and holding the shanks firmly in position by means of teeth along the contiguous sides of the shank, and by means of the slot in the guide nearest to the jaws being so constructed as that when the shanks at the teeth are closed together the upper portion of the guide catches and holds the shank in position, and by means of the handles being held firmly together by the hand of the operator. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a lateral and full View of my wrench, in which a represents the jaw of the upper shank; b, the jaw of the lower shank, having a slot 0 through it in its upper part.

Ais the upper shank; B, the lower shank.

O is aslot in the upper part of the jaw b of the lower shank B, which slot is widened and rounded upward at G on its upper side next toward the handles a and b and widened and rounded at O on its lower side next to the jaws.

a are indentations 0n the under side of the upper shank, forming teeth sunk into the shank on the side contiguous to the lower shank.

b are teeth on the upper side of the lower shank projecting into the indentations on the under side of the upper shank.

a is the handle on the upper shank.

b is the handle on the lower shank.

b are notches or indentations in the handle of the lower shank in which to insert the end of the fingers when operating the wrench.

The dotted line shows the position of the upper jaw a and the shank A when moved ahead or when drawn back when the shanks are separated sufiiciently from each other to allow the teeth a and Z2 to pass each other without interference.

b is a guide through which the upper shank A slides.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

7 The said wrench can be operated with either one or both hands of the operator, and it is operated as follows: \Vhen the handles a and b and the shanks A and B are separated to the full extent of the slot in the guide I), the teeth a and b are disconnected and sufficiently separated to pass each other without interference, and the shank A slides either forward or backward at the will of the operator through the slot within the guide I) and the slot 0 through the upper part of the jaw b, which slot 0 is flaring at O in the top of the jaw and is slightly rounded at C at the corner formed in the slot by the shank B and the lower part of the jaw b, which flare and rounding allow the shank A to pass freely through the slot 0 in the jaw 72 when the shanks are separated, allowing the teeth to pass each other, which said slot 0 in the head or upper part of the jaw 11 on its upper side opening toward the jaw a is not rounded nor flaring, and is so constructed that when the shanks A and B and the teeth (t and b are closed the upper part of the jaw 17, forming the upper side of the slot 0, binds upon the upper side of the shank A and holds the shank A tightly pressed against the shank B, which, in connection with the teeth, prevents the shanks A and B from sliding upon each other when the jaws a and b are operating upon a nut or other object to be moved or operated upon.

The teeth a as aforesaid, are formed by indentations in the under side of the shank A, and the teeth 21 on the upper side of the shank 13 project beyond the even upper side of the shank B, and thus fit into the corresponding indentations in the under side of the shank A. The handle a, attached to the upper shank A, is a little rounded on the un der side, except in the center, where it is indented, so as to fit over the shank A, the shank A being smaller at the handle than in its other portions. The handle b on the lower shank B is also a little rounded on the under surface and indented in the center of the under surface, so as to fit over the shank B,which shank is also a little smaller at the place of the handle than elsewhere, the handle 12 having indentations If on the side next to the teeth,

by means of which indentations the operator,

is able to move the lower jaw Z) and the shank B either forward or backward with the ends of the fingers when holding the wrench in the one hand and when working it with but one hand. These handles may also be made by turning the metal part of each shank around in the form of a loop similar to the loops of scissors or shears, the loop of the shank B being inclined a little to one side to permit the use of the wrench for hammering purposes.

The adjacent sides of the shanks A and B between the teeth and the jaws are smooth and come in contact with each other, and the two parts of the wrench thus rest on and move easily along this smooth surface a little rounded at 0 My wrench therefore consists of the jaws, shanks, and handles and the guide I), which is permanently attached to the shank B, which fits closely to the sides of the shank A; but at the top of the guide I) there is a space left for the shank A to be parted from the shank B sufficiently to allow the teeth a and Z) to pass each other, and when the jaws have been adjusted to the nut or other obstacle to be operated upon by the wrench, the handles being brought together by the operator, the teeth are closed with each other and they securely hold the wrench in position while operating.

The jaws a and b are perpendicular to the shanks A and B, as shown on the drawing filed herein, and that side of the wrench upon which the jaws extend out laterally is herein to be deemed and understood to be the lower side of the shanks, and the other side, where is the head of the jaw a, which projects out and may be used for hammering purposes, is to be deemed and understood herein to be the upper side of the wrench.

Then the jaws of my wrench are closed, the handle 5 on the shank B does not extend backward as far as the handle on shank A by about onehalf of the distance between the jaws when the wrench is opened to its greatest extent, and when the wrench is opened to its utmost capacity the handle 1/ on the shank B projects beyond the handle a on the shank A about the same distance as it was short when closed. The handle a on the shank A is attached thereto by screws in order that the handle a may be removed, when the half of the wrench connected with shank A may be easily removed from the slot at C and the slot in the guide I), and thus either part of the wrench having been injured or broken it may be replaced by a similar part without the necessity of procuring an entirely new wrench.

\Vhen by means of the handles at a and b the shanks A and B and the teeth a and b are separated to the extent of the space allowed in the guide-bar b, so that the teeth will not interfere with each other, the jaws and shanks may be easily moved in either direction, and either the shank B may be moved forward or backward or the shank A may be moved forward or backward with equal facility and rapidly adjusted to any nut or other thing to be operated upon of a size within the capacity of the wrench, and by means of this myinvention a wrench may be made with any desired capacity, as from the manner of construction there are no reasonable limitations as to size.

I am aware that prior to my invention wrenches having plain jaws and plain shanks and plain close-fitting guides have been made and operated, and for these as formerly made I do not claim broadly.

iVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in a wrench, having jaws a and I) perpendicular to the shanks A and B, of the teeth a and b on the contiguous sides of the shanks A and B, having a guide Z) and a slot 0 in the head of the jaw 19 being rounded or flaring at O on the side of the shank A and the head of the jaw I) most remote from the head of the wrench, and being rounded at C at the corner formed by the face of the jaw Z) and the shank B, and having the slot 0 otherwise fitting so closely around the shank A that when the handles and the teeth are closed the upper part, or head, of the jaw b inclosing the slot 0 shall. bind tightly and hold in position the shank A, all substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination in a wrench of the shanks A and B having teeth a and b in the adjacent sides of said shanks, and having jaws perpendicular to said shanks, and having a guide I) with space for separating the shanks, and having the flaring at O of the slot at the head of the jaw h and the rounding of the slot at C at the corner formed by the jaw 19 and the shank B, and having the divided handles a and b with the indentations b in b and the handle a set with screws and detachable, and having the slot 0 otherwise fitting so closely around the shank A that when the handles and the teeth are closed the upper part or head of the jaw Z) inclosing the slot 0 shall bind tightly and hold in position the shank A, all substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination in a wrench having jaws a and b perpendicular to the shanks A and B, and having a guide I) with space for separating the shanks sufficiently to allow the teeth a and b to pass each other, and having the flaring at C of the slot at the head of the jaw b on the side most remote from the head of the wrench, and the rounding of the slot at C at the corner formed by the jaw h and the shank B, and having the divided handles a and b with the indentations I)" in Z) and the handle a set with screws and detachable, and having the slot 0 otherwise fitting so closely around the shank A that when the handles and the teeth are closed the upper part or head of the jaw b inclosing the slot 0 shall bind tightly and hold in position the shank 'A, all substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

4:. The combination in awrench 0f the jaws a and b perpendicular with the shanks A and B, with the said shanks A and B having the teeth a and b on the contiguous sides of the said shanks A and B, and with the slot 0 in the head of the jaw I) being round or flaring at C on the upper side of the shank A, and being rounded at C the corner formed by the face of the jaw b and the forward end of the shank B, and the slot 0 otherwise fitting so closely around the shank A that when the 15 shanks A and B and the teeth a and b are closed, the upper part or head of the jaw 19 inclosing the slot 0 and surrounding the shank A, shall bind tightly and hold firmly in position the shanks A and B and the said 20 teeth, all substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

JOHN N. YOUNG. Witnesses:

' HAROLD J. TOMBLIN,

HENRY J. LANG. 

